RATIONING OF MEAT

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24898, 11 June 1946, Page 6

RATIONING OF MEAT

4 BUTCHERS WANT NEW METHOD

COUNSEL’S LETTER TO MINISTER

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 10. An application by counsel. Dr. O. C. Mazengarb, tnai iy charges against eight butchers should be adjourned for further consideration by tne Minister oi Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) was declined by Mr W. F. Stilwell, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon. Most of the charges were of supplying meat to consumers other than against the surrender or cancellation of coupons under the Rationing Emergency Regulations, 1942, the others being against an employee of aiding an employer in the same offence, three of selling meat not in accordance with the price order. and one of making a misleading statement in a return.

The Magistrate said it was well known that similar proceedings had been going on in other places for some time. The Court had been endeavouring since the matter was first mentioned to fix a day for the hearing. After this degree of arranging, the time had come to get on with the hearing of the matters. Dr. Mazengarb, in asking for an adjournment, said that just before lunch he hid a telephone message from the Minister’s department stating that the Minister was in Christchurch, but wished the prosecutions to proceed. Counsel asked if the matter could be held over until further time could be given to a letter by the Minister. Dr. Mazengarb read the letter to the Minister, the following being the context:—

“Apart from any information which you may have received from your departmental officers, you will have noticed from press reports that there are many prosecutions pending against butchers for alleged breaches of the Rationing Emergency Regulations. I have been instructed to appear on Monday next as counsel for the defence in 19 prosecutions at Wellington With great respect for the views of those officials who have been responsible for the method of enforcing comSliance with the regulations and the savig of meat for Great Britain, I feel that a much better method of achieving the desired end is to secure the complete cooperation of both butchers and the general public in the rationing at meat, if the hearing of the prosecutions proceeds, the defendants will be obliged to xesist the entry of convictions and the imposition of penalties by explaining to the Court factors which led to the bringing of these cases. These factors are as follows: — Arrangement with Customers “(1) Soon after the gazetting of the regulations in 1942. the practice arose whereby regular customers of local butchery shops handed to their butchers the whole of the coupons for each rationing period and trusted the butchers to supply their daily needs up to the value of their coupons Some customers may have received a bigger supply than that to which they were entitled, while some were content with less. “(2) While the coupons banked by some butchers may have lessened their right to receive the full quantity of the meat desired by them in the subsequent period, the controller took no action (as far as I am aware) to restrict them to the amount to which they were entitled under the regulations. He has thereby over a long period countenanced the practice which it is now sought to stop. This has resulted in the temporary closing of at least one shop, and the launching of these prosecutions. “(3) Discrepancies between coupons banked by butchers and meat actually acquired are, I am informed, due to various causes, the chief of which are: (a) in rush periods it is extremely difficult for tradesmen with greasy or meat-stained fingers to check coupons handed to them, (b) Casual customers, after meat is wrapped, often find that they have ordered in excess of the amount for which they have coupons available, and promise to bring the remaining coupons at the next call. This places the butcher in the disadvantage of having to take the purchase back into stock, or trust to the promise of the customer, which is not always carried out. (c) In the manufacture of small goods the butcher is obliged to utilise some portion of his supply of rationed meat, for which allowance is made in his licence.. In practice it is difficult to preserve a proper balance between goods used under manufacturing licence and that portion of meat to be sold subject to coupons. (d) Those butchers whose reputation is for the supply of high grade meat buy animals or carcases in respect of which cutting waste is greater than what was allowed for in the fixing of prices and the fixing oi quotas. (e) Since the campaign started for the voluntary saving of coupons, several instances have occurred where wellmeaning persons (with a perverted idea ©f appearing to be humanitarian in their actions) have deliberately held back coupons, while attempting to obtain the same value of meat as that to which they ■would otherwise be entitled. Inspectors’ Actions “Having regard to the- way in which the retail trade has been conducted, it was comparatively easy for the inspectors to cause a breach of the regulations by the methods adopted by them in recent weeks The procedure apparently was for an inspector to make his purchase and. having placed it in his bag. to hand over or place on the counter the cash and a slip of coupons. As the inspector would appear to be an honest man it would not occur to the butcher that he was being •tricked’ until the inspector returned to the shop and revealed the purpose of his purchase. "The regulations place upon the purchasers the onus of giving the correct coupons. • Ration books distinctly warn customers of their obligations in this regard Butchers felt reasonably entitled and, in the rush of business, are sometimes obliged to rely on the honour and honesty of the purchaser “I have some confidence in assuming that you and the general public will not approve of departmental officers deliberately causing the commission of an offence. The present defendants have been seriously considering whether informations should not be laid against the inspectors themselves for their breaches of the regulations. The laying of informations against them would probably cause bitterness Even the conviction of the inspectors would not be to the advantage of the butchers who have been misled by them. “Butchers with whom I have conferred assure me that a simpler scheme of rationing could be devised, under which With the co-operation of the butchery trade and customers the general object could be achieved of saving food for Great Britain, while spreading the quantity available for New Zealand equitably among our population.

“I am sure you will agree that such a scheme (if workable) would be much better than a continuation of the system which is not only complex and costly to butchers and the Government, but also promotes breaches of the law. “Up to the present butchers have not had the advantage of dealing with a tribunal. They have had to deal with the Stabilisation Commission, the Price Tribunal, the rationing authorities, and the Labour Department. I am myself confident that what is really wanted is one fresh mind to examine the situation, and report to the Government on proposals which retail butchers in Wellington would like to put forward. “My suggestion therefore is: (1) that the cases now before the Court be discontinued or adjourned: (2) that the Government appoint some independent person as, for example, Mr J* S. Barton, C.M.G., to consider the suggestions which my clients have to offer, and to report to the Government on the best means of overcoming the difficulties which retail traders and departmental officers now have to face. “I feel sure an amicable settlement will appeal to you as being better than harsh enforcement through the Courts of rationing regulations which, while praiseworthy in their intention, nevertheless press heavily upon those engaged in the butchery trade If you are able to accede to the suggestion and give instructions according! v. I can assure you that the individual butchers for whom I act will be mindful of their obligations under the existing regulations, and will offer suggestions to work out a system that will better meet the desires of the Government than that which applies under the existing regulations.” “Costly, Chaotic, and Unfair” Dr. Mazengarb said that last week, on behalf of the butchers, he had tried to see the Prime Minister and Mr Sullivan, but they were not available. He was still not without hope that the Minister would see an opportunity to meet tne butchers. The present position was costly, chaotic, and unfair, and appeared to make butchers out to be unpatriotic lawbreakers. which they were not. Mr W R. Birks, for the Food Controller and the Price Tribunal said that if tne butchers had a scheme they had had ample opportunity to place it Before the Minister Criticism of the methods oi inspectors and the allegation that they obtained meat without coupons would be met by evidence that they placed on the counter money and coupons in clear view of the shopman Mr Birks submitted that no grounds bad been shown why the cases, which wad been pending since April, should be adjourned He asked that they proceed . D r Mazengarb said he might be placed In the position of going to the Supreme Court Butchers might have to take action against the inspectors. Raymond Clark Macfarlane. a butcher, of Porirua, was charged that on March 26 he supplied meat to consumers otner , than against the surrender or cancella- . tion of coupons. Keith Fergusson Parker, a meat ration-• Ing inspector, of Christchurch, said that ,

in March‘last he called at the defendant’s shop and bought a knuckle of mutton and a piece of steak While the meat was being got ready he placed 5s on the counter and six coupons, which entitled him to Is 6d worth of meat. The price of the meat was 2s lid. The money and coupons were taken by the shopman. The witness left the shop. In two minutes’ time he re-entered the shop and asked the shopman his reason for selling 2s lid worth of meat for Is 6d in coupons. The shopman stated he thought there had been enough coupons. Dr.-Mazengarb: Did you give consideration to the fact that you yourself might be breaking the law? The witness: I had my duty to do. I did it to the best of my ability. Mr Birks: Did the defendant claim it was an error? The witness. He just said he neglected to look at the coupons Macfarlane, in evidence, said the inspector put down screwed-up coupons on th*-' counter and almost .ran out of the shop. Dr. Mazengarb submitted that a conviction should not be entered. The Magistrate reserved his decision. “I have no doubt that a penalty must be imposed, but I will defer the penalty meantime," said the Magistrate, after hearing evidence in a charge against A. E Preston, Ltd., Molesworth street, of supplying meat to a consumer other than against the surrender or cancellation of coupons. Evidence was given by Athol George Pearce, an inspector of rationing, Wellington, that he made a purchase at pork at 5s 6d and gave coupons valued at Is 6d. Later he asked to see the manager and had been told that the employee who had served him was a casual worker normally employed in the small goods department.